The last article on the gifts from the Friends ended with the years between 2013 and 2015, where the Friends sponsored a series of travels for members of the Garden team on work experience exchanges. This article picks up where we left off and explores the gifts from then up to, at the time of writing, July 2025.
The Summer House
The very first Friends committee meeting I attended was on Monday 18 September 2017. I had previously been told that the committee was looking at a big project, the relocation of the Summer House, which had been partly funded by the Friends in 1990, as it was felt that the Summer House was difficult to get to and underused.
However, this was one gift that never got given, as at this meeting, the then secretary, Diana Cotton minuted that “John [Anderson, Keeper of the Gardens] said he and Harvey [Stephens, Garden Supervisor] had been giving this further thought and were considering whether it would be possible to partially redesign the existing building changing the appearance by possibly adding different surface materials, improving access, adding plant pots, etc. He said that he will give it further thought and review it at the next Committee Meeting.” As we all know, the Summer House has stayed where it is.
At a coffee morning later that year in 2017, John told the Friends that new paths would soon be added to The Savill Garden, to increase access to some parts of the Garden.
So, for the January 2018 coffee morning, we had to access the building via the Lawns, while the diggers were going into the gardens, which caused a few delays. At one point I wasn’t sure if anyone was going to be able to get in.
The new paths have proved a great success, and I am sure I am not the only one who now enjoys sitting in the Summer House and looking back across the Garden.
In June 2018, the committee meeting started with a visit to the Summer House. The minutes read “The meeting was preceded by a visit with John Anderson to the Summer House to discuss ideas for upgrading its appearance. John also mentioned his thoughts on creating an adjoining ‘Keeper’s Corner’ with specimen memorial shrubs/trees.”
One of those thoughts was that the Friends would provide some plaques to commemorate the former Keepers of the Garden. Later in the meeting John referred to the visit and said he would obtain samples of cedar tiles and memorial plaques before the next meeting. He estimated the total cost for refurbishment would be in the region of £2000.
Staff exchange
At the same meeting, it was minuted that “John referred to the possible staff exchange with the Morris Arboretum in the US, which is part of the University of Philadelphia. He described the benefits of such an exchange to the individuals and the Garden. He felt that this opportunity provided good experience and possible future career influences for staff in both countries. Clare Brock was a good example of past success in this arrangement and although she had left Savill Garden, she still has connections and is always a good ambassador.
“The cost last year was £860 but this year the cost of accommodation for the visiting US student also has to be covered plus the flight, totalling approximately £1400 – £1500.“
Conor Langley, a member of the Garden team, flew to Philadelphia later that year, and on his return, he spoke about his experiences at a Friends coffee morning.
Friends banner
Not all gifts come from the Friends to the Garden; sometimes it happens in reverse.
At our committee meeting on 28 November 2018, it was stated that ‘Helen (Buckham) has confirmed that the banner, showing Friends of Savill Garden, will be coming soon and can be used at all events.’ We were very grateful at the next coffee morning for the beautiful Friends banner, which we now display at all the events in The Savill Garden Visitor Centre.
Keepers of the Gardens plaques
In November 2019, John updated the committee on the plaques for the Summer House, when he told us ‘There is progress, and the plaques will be of good quality bronze.’
At the same meeting the Friends asked John about making a “living donation” by the Friends such as plants or trees. John explained that there are concerns regarding importing diseases, so The Savill Garden team are now only purchasing young plants to grow on. As an alternative the Committee asked if they might sponsor the cherry trees that had already been ordered from Hillier’s. The order was for nine heavy standard trees of Prunus shirofugen at a cost of £500-£600 each. The cherry trees were in place by the time of the next committee meeting in March 2020.
Below is a photo taken in 2025, of nine cherry trees. The one on the back left in the photo is a newer addition as the original failed to thrive and was replaced.
The cherry trees in The Savill Garden.
Bulb field
At the February 2020 coffee morning, Michelle Cleave told us about her plans to plant a bulb field under the cherry trees and the Chair of the Friends rather rashly immediately volunteered the Friends to pay for these. As you will see I did apologise later…
At the committee meeting on 4 March 2020, we recorded that “Michelle had brought along the Friends of Savill plaque. This was examined and greatly admired by the committee members.”
My report to the committee was also about the plaques and bulbs:
“You have seen and admired the Friends plaque that arrived and I’m sure the others look just as great. It was good of Michelle to bring one so that we could see what they are like. They need to be fixed with security bolts which the Friends have paid for, and John is hoping for an opening ceremony at some point, although the virus may make that difficult.
“The cherry trees are in place and looking great and we will be funding the bulbs to go under them; no doubt Michelle can tell us more. I must also apologise to everyone, especially Barbara (Sampson- the Friends Treasurer) for volunteering us without consultation, to pay for these, I’ll try to behave better in future. The trees came in less than the cost we had budgeted for -so we will have the funds to pay for the bulbs.“
But as you will have read another topic was beginning to dominate our thinking…
The Coronavirus
“Because I have already been asked about the Coronavirus, I feel we may be asked about the Coronavirus by those attending the coffee morning, … Members will be kept informed and updated. Savill and York Club will remain open. (for the moment) There may be a downturn at tomorrow’s coffee morning, but we shall see, and we will talk about it.“
We did have the coffee morning the following day on Thursday 5 March, it was quite well attended, and John brought the plaque from the day before to show everyone.
Later that day, Nick Day phoned to suggest a postponement of the talk due the following Wednesday on the Ancient trees, due to concerns about the coronavirus. Lockdown started 18 days later, on Monday 23 March.
By the end of May 2020 restrictions were being lifted and we were able to go back into The Savill Garden a little later, however, the lockdown had affected some plans.
The bulbs had not been planted because of the restrictions on travel from the Netherlands, but as you can see in this picture taken in October 2020 they were eventually planted. As for the plaques, they were safely stored for the time being under John’s desk.
Of course, barely had we all been able to admire the very neat groves in the grass made by the planting machine, than we started to go back into lockdown.
It wasn’t until the following Spring that we got to see the bulbs growing for the first time in person, although we were indebted to John and his team for many photos, showing us the progress of the bulbs and many other aspects in The Savill Garden. I remember greeting many Friends, suitably distanced of course, on the first day we could go and look.
The bulb field was a place of optimism that day and so it seemed to be a fitting place to remember those Friends we had lost during lockdown and a plaque was installed in their memory.
The plaque installed in memory of the Friends we lost during lockdown.
John Anderson’s trip to India
By 2022, foreign travel was back on the agenda and the Friends were pleased to sponsor John Anderson’s visit to India and the talk he gave to us on his return was fascinating and very well attended.
John Anderson in Northern India in 2023
King Charles III’s Coronation
May 2023 brought the coronation of King Charles III and a welcome chance to celebrate.
At the coffee morning on 4 May a number of Friends, suitably dressed in red, white and blue, walked in glorious sunshine into Chapel Wood where a tree was ‘planted’ to commemorate the occasion.
Friends walking through the Garden towards Chapel Wood.
John explained to us that he had chosen an oak tree as these are favoured by The King.
The variety is Quercus imbricaria, the shingle oak, native to the Midwestern and Upper South regions of North America, which should be suitable for our changing climate.
In time the tree should grow to between 15m (49ft) to 18m (59ft) in height. The leaves have a smoother edge than our native oak and we can look forward to them emerging with bright red colour in spring and turning a darker red in autumn.
Dry Garden gifts
In April 2024, the Friends again went outside into the Garden, although the weather was not quite so kind as for the Coronation celebrations, as it drizzled on and off although fortunately the real downpour held off until most of us were safely back inside.
This occasion was to visit the two new gifts to the Garden from the Friends, a very large pithoi, a type of pot traditionally used to transport wine and oil which is placed in the dry Garden and nearby a Cercis ‘Forest pansy’.
2025 and beyond
Earlier in 2025, the Friends helped fund John Anderson’s visit to several Gardens in China and we look forward to hearing about that visit in due course.
Looking forward we will be helping with some wiring on the wall of the Temperate House to train plants up and of course, at long last, the plaques also going on the wall of the Summer House.
